Halduron Brightwing
* |Row 4 title = Previous Affiliations: |Row 4 info = |Row 5 title = Status: |Row 5 info = }}Halduron Brightwing is the Ranger-General of Silvermoon—the military leader of Quel'Thalas and high commander of its defenses—and the leader of the Farstriders, succeeding the fallen Sylvanas Windrunner in both roles. Halduron is the long-time best friend of the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, under whom Halduron has served since the rise of the Sin'dorei. Halduron is Lor'themar's most loyal and trusted comrade and has served Quel'Thalas with unwavering courage and integrity. He is the regent lord's primary confidant and one of his chief advisors alongside Grand Magister Rommath. Second War Halduron, a High Elven Farstrider, served his country faithfully as the Amani trolls - emboldened by their alliance with the Old Horde - attacked Quel'Thalas directly. Halduron, disguised as an elderly cloaked man leaning on a staff for support, was stalked by a troll named Ter'lij and his war-party. However, Halduron shed his disguise and quickly turned the tables on his opponents, cutting them down with his longsword and impaling Ter'lij mid-air with a spear. He was approached by Alleria Windrunner, a longtime friend of his, who had convinced King Anasterian to mobilize his forces against the invaders. She instructed him to join up with her sister, Ranger-General Sylvanas, and waylay the enemy forces in the forest. Halduron and his company departed and joined up with his comrade Lor'themar Theron's ranger company too. Halduron held the rank of lieutenant during the Second War. After the orcs had abandoned the battle, King Anasterian fielded priests and magi to bolster the Farstriders' ranks. Halduron's company was aided by Lady Liadrin, and it was Halduron who fell upon a noteworthy prize: the Amani chieftain Zul'jin himself, cut off from his brethren and trapped by rampant dragon fire. Halduron and his rangers swiftly cut down the chieftain's comrades and took him into custody. Yet as the fire prevented Zul'jin from reuniting with his trolls, it also stopped Halduron from corresponding with Sylvanas. With little choice left, the elves set up camp and beat the captured chieftain mercilessly. Many of Halduron's rangers had lost friends and loved ones to Zul'jin's frequent campaigns. Halduron presided over his torture (one of his men was responsible for the infamous gouging out of Zul'jin's eye); when confronted about its brutality by Liadrin and urged to just execute the chieftain, Halduron maintained that it was out of his hands, though he had another motive: Halduron had hoped to keep Zul'jin alive and allow Lor'themar to decide his fate, as catharsis for his friend's own torture at Zul'jin's hands years before. Soon after, an Amani raiding party arrived to save their chieftain. Halduron was impaled by a spear, though Liadrin healed the wound and tossed the weapon aside. Halduron rallied his rangers to battle, and while the trolls were dispersed, they had succeeded in their mission: using the same spear that had nearly killed Halduron, Zul'jin had cut off his own arm and escaped. Halduron held great guilt over this for years to come, having had Zul'jin's life in his hands but let it slip away. Third War Halduron was stationed south of the Ghostlands during the early stages of the Scourge invasion. He narrowly saved Lor'themar's life from a group of reanimated elven guardians, who had blinded his friend and butchered Lor'themar's unsuspecting platoon. Like Lor'themar, Halduron had suspected something was amiss with the hidden crystals at An'owyn and An'telas, which helped empower Ban'dinoriel ("Gatekeeper"), the protective shield around Silvermoon. The crystals had been stolen. After slaying a lurking necromancer, the two rushed back to defend the capital, though the battle was already in its waning moments. Ranger-General Sylvanas was slain by the merciless Prince Arthas, and a void was left—leaving the high elven Farstriders without a leader. Halduron sought out many survivors of the attack and brought them back to the safety of The Bazaar, the only part of Silvermoon reclaimed. After Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider returned to Quel'Thalas, Halduron pledged to aid their prince in destroying the corrupted Sunwell and was one of the twenty elves who rushed to the Isle before the Amani could secure the tainted fount of power. Kael'thas destroyed it, saving the high elves from death and corruption but forcing a withdrawal-based lethargy upon them in its place. Back in Silvermoon, Kael'thas rallied the masses and christened them the "blood elves." When Lor'themar was named regent, Halduron became the Ranger-general of Silvermoon and the leader of the Farstriders in the absence of Sylvanas. Lor'themar and Halduron continued to safeguard the Scourge-infested elven homeland from further threats and were commanded to find a cure for the Sin'dorei's magic addiction within the borders of Quel'Thalas. The Sunwell After Kael'thas Sunstrider renamed the high elven race "blood elves" in honor of their fallen brethren, he joined with the New Alliance to battle the Scourge threat running rampant throughout Lordaeron. Halduron and his old friend Lor'themar were instructed to remain behind in the shattered Quel'Thalas, and attempt to find a cure for their people, fresh from the Sunwell's destruction. Halduron and Lor'themar coordinated guerrilla attacks against the Scourge remnants within Quel'Thalas, with varying success. At some point, Dar'Khan Drathir pursued the current avatar of the Sunwell, a woman named Anveena Teague, to the elven homeland. Lor'themar and Halduron learned of this and resolved to avenge the Sunwell's destruction by killing the treacherous Dar'Khan. In a conversation with Halduron, Lor'themar reveals that Dar'Khan had befriended him in order to use his knowledge of Quel'Thalas' defenses against their people after he betrayed them to Arthas himself. Halduron ambushed Dar'Khan as he taunted Lor'themar about his role in their homeland's destruction, though both Halduron and Lor'themar were pushed back after Dar'Khan raised undead high elves against them. Halduron later discovers the presence of none other than Sylvanas Windrunner, his predecessor, active in Quel'Thalas. He and Lor'themar find and take Kalecgos and his companions captive, though they ultimately join forces after Kalecgos reveals their plight and Tyrigosa reveals her dragon form. Halduron is skeptical of joining forces with Sylvanas, reasoning that she may have plans of her own for the Sunwell; however, he and Lor'themar conclude that she is likely here only for Dar'Khan's head. Halduron accompanies his new allies to the relief of Anveena, while Lor'themar travels astride Tyrigosa. Halduron's forces arrive in the waning moments of the battle against Dar'Khan and his undead legions and hold them off long enough for Kalecgos to overcome his affliction and rejoin the battle in dragon form. Halduron witnesses the apparent destruction of Dar'Khan at the hands of a reinvigorated Anveena. Following this, Halduron gains knowledge of Anveena's status as the Sunwell's mortal avatar, and she is put under the blood elves' protection at an undisclosed location in Quel'Thalas. Blood of the Highborne Under Lor'themar's instruction, Halduron frequently supplied Lady Liadrin with mana crystals to ease her magical addiction. The Rangers had been less affected by its onset than most, though they were unsure as to why. Halduron's platoon had discovered a raid of Alliance treasure hunters at Zul'Aman, almost all of whom had been slain. The sole survivor relayed tales of Zul'jin's re-emergence, knowledge which weighed heavily on Halduron's shoulders. Halduron retained guilt for his decision to keep Zul'jin alive back in the Second War, though Lor'themar assured him that true leadership isn't making the right decisions every time, but learning from the wrong ones. Halduron remained his most trusted and loyal comrade throughout this turbulent period, the regent hailing Halduron's unwavering courage and integrity in service to Quel'Thalas. Halduron led a squad of rangers to attack Dawnstar Spire after "Thaddir's" identity had been discerned, and relieved the surrounded Blood Knights from the Scourge ambush. They were soon joined by Lor'themar, Astalor Bloodsworn, and the Royal Guard. Burning Crusade During this time, he was supportive of Lor'themar's decisions to keep the nation safe, such as allying with the Forsaken to protect the southern Ghostlands. Halduron was opposed to the creation of the Blood Knights, and indeed shared Warchief Thrall and High Chieftain Cairne's deep concerns about the maltreatment of M'uru, which led him into several arguments with Rommath, who himself was a strong supporter of the Blood Knights. The Ranger-General was informed of a Dwarven spy named Anvilward. Halduron and Rommath would come to harsh words on many matters, though Halduron came to develop a respect and trust for his compatriot after Rommath remained loyal to Silvermoon following the devastating betrayal of Kael'thas. With the elven scion no more, Halduron urged the regent lord to take a more royal and prestigious role in Quel'Thalas, though Lor'themar was consistently opposed to this notion. In the Shadow of the Sun Shortly after the great betrayal of Kael'thas Sunstrider, Lor'themar receives numerous letters from one Archmage Aethas Sunreaver, desiring an audience. His pleas were ignored, Aethas finally simply announces his intention to visit Silvermoon City. As Halduron, Lor'themar and Rommath await Aethas' arrival, Halduron hands Lor'themar the unmistakable Silvermoon City Tabard, chiding him for his desire to retain his Farstrider attire, and going a step further to suggest the head of the state should not cloth himself in the trappings of a ranger. Lor'themar refuses to take it, stating that he is still a Farstrider, though Halduron—referencing the events that transpired on Quel'Danas—implores him that his role as a ranger is far behind him now. Halduron is present during the verbal showdown between Rommath and Aethas and attempts to curb the grand magister's tirade by hoping none of the Council of Six ever end up under Arthas' sway. Following Aethas and Rommath's strong disagreement regarding the Kirin Tor and Malygos, Lor'themar retires to his chambers. Halduron soon joins him, and the two old friends discuss what should be done. Halduron speaks at length of the Grand Magister, referencing a new-found respect for him after Rommath remained loyal to Quel'Thalas after the great betrayal of the elven scion. Halduron also suggests Rommath as an ideal liaison for Aethas, despite their differences, and the Ranger-General concedes that if the Kirin Tor want to admit blood elves back into its ranks, then there are those who would welcome the chance to retain good relations with Dalaran again. After a political discussion about just how far the regency of Quel'Thalas should approve or eschew official involvement in the Kirin Tor's welfare, Halduron lightly references Lor'themar's attitude to that of a king's, though the regent lord becomes slightly agitated at the thought. Several days later, Lor'themar prepares for his journey south of the Ghostlands, against Halduron's advice. Knowing that he can't stop him, Halduron settles for ensuring Lor'themar has an adequate escort. Halduron, Rommath, and Aethas later await Lor'themar's return, and Aethas briefly inquires about how his journey to the high elf lodge went. Aethas makes an allusion to his desire to help bridge the gap between the [Elf|Quel' and Sin'dorei at this point, though Halduron is unsurprised at the poor outcome of Lor'themar's trip. Later that afternoon, Lor'themar informs Halduron of the full picture: that the elves of Quel'Lithien had come under attack from Forsaken agents in the name of Nathanos Blightcaller, and that the Quel'dorei of the lodge had outright declined any assistance from the Sin'dorei. Halduron notes that it was to be expected, especially considering Lor'themar had banished them from Quel'Thalas prior. Lor'themar reasons that he could not lead a nation divided, and that at any rate, the killed rangers were as much Halduron's company as they were his. Halduron briefly questions whether or not the Dark Lady would know of Nathanos' onslaught, though retracts the statement upon wondering whether or not she would even care. He instead encourages Lor'themar, reasoning that no one else would fight of Quel'Thalas in its hour of need. Halduron accompanies Lor'themar to his meeting with Sylvanas and shares his all-too-familiar despair upon looking upon the fate that befell their former ranger-general. Following Sylvanas' successful twisting of Lor'themar's arm to dedicate troops to the looming Northrend conflict, and Lor'themar's own conflict with Rommath in regards to it, Halduron formally asks what the Regent Lord's orders are. Having resolved to commit to the war effort, Lor'themar instructs him to contact the Farstrider lodges, and inform them of what has been decided. Halduron simply nods—with a cold courtesy that unnerves the regent lord—and gives Lor'themar a glance he cannot quite read. Wrath of the Lich King Halduron plays a role in the quest to restore the legendary elven blade Quel'Delar, having traveled to the Isle of Quel'Danas to oversee and inspect the renewed Sunwell's defenses. He now controls access to the Sunwell and learns of Myralion Sunblaze and Caladis Brightspear's quest to see the blade restored. Halduron is initially skeptical of whether the blade is truly ready to accept another owner, and reiterates the fate of the blade's original owner, Thalorien Dawnseeker, a valiant high elf who gave his life to buy the Sunwell's defenders time to prepare for the Scourge assault. Halduron sends heroes to his resting place and allows them to enter the Sunwell once the spirit of Thalorien offers them his blessing. For Horde agents, he urges them not to be intertwined in Lor'themar Theron and Grand Magister Rommath's political scheming within, and to instead remain focused on the task at hand. For Alliance agents, Halduron warns them that they are guests in the most sacred place known to the people of Quel'Thalas, and to behave accordingly. Cataclysm After the leadership of the Zandalari declared the United troll empire reborn, Halduron left to do battle with the reinvigorated Amani empire brewing in Zul'Aman. He makes an appearance on the outskirts of Zul'Aman, meeting with his Farstrider Troll Hunters, the Darkspear Chieftain Vol'jin, and Vereesa Windrunner. He is approached by a Silvermoon Messenger, who conveys Regent Lord Lor'themar's demand to know why Vereesa had entered their lands. Halduron reveals that many of his Farstriders are unavailable on duty and thus unable to be recalled easily, and so he had personally invited Vereesa and her rangers to help address the new Zul'Aman threat. The messenger mentions that Lor'themar does not agree with the sentiment and that Halduron has no authority to do so, though Halduron dismisses it as necessary - his role as Quel'Thalas' ranger-general allowing him to seek aid wherever needed to keep his homeland safe. Halduron sends the messenger back to Silvermoon with the plans for battle. Halduron's scouts had found nothing but silence around Zul'Aman itself, though Vol'jin is certain that the burgeoning Amani remnants are biding their time within the ruins. Vol'jin goes on to explain that the Zandalari are seeking to create a new troll empire, reaching out to all of the troll tribes, including the Amani and his own Darkspear tribe—the likes of which would be a grave threat to Quel'Thalas if not immediately dealt with. Halduron and Vereesa resolve to join forces, their Farstriders, and rangers lending aid to Vol'jin's plight. Tides of War Halduron convinced Lor'themar to send a subordinate of his, the Blood Knight Kelantir Bloodblade, to aid in Garrosh Hellscream's assault on Theramore Isle. Halduron thought highly of Bloodblade and was saddened to hear of her death. Mists of Pandaria Landfall Halduron and Lor'themar were present at the Court of the Sun after the situation in Dalaran concluded, overseeing the Silvermoon portals funneling in members of the Sunreavers who escaped the purge. Lor'themar ordered Halduron to assemble the rangers, noting that the time had come for the blood elves to take matters into their own hands. Rise of the Thunder King Halduron accompanied the Sunreaver Onslaught to the Isle of Thunder, taking up arms in the Onslaught's name along with a contingent of his rangers. After departing into the wilderness with Kethiel Sunlance and Elina Zaralae, Halduron focused on taking on the local Zandalari threat; while he did not wish to commit genocide against the Zandalari, he understood that a little shortening of their numbers would not be enough to achieve victory. Halduron assuaged Horde champions over the killings and assured them that the blood spilled was on his own hands, not theirs. He and Rommath would routinely return to the Dawnseeker Promontory as the base camp construction progressed. War Crimes Halduron accompanied Lor'themar to the trial of the deposed Garrosh Hellscream. Like Sylvanas, Halduron watched intently as the fates of their subordinates, Kelantir, and Frandis Farley, were shown to the court. Legion Halduron Brightwing represents the blood elves' Farstriders in the Unseen Path, the union of all hunters on Azeroth. As a member of the Unseen Path, Halduron participated in the defeat of Hakkar the Houndmaster in the Violet Hold. Halduron returned to Silvermoon and when Lor'themar went to address Alleria Windrunner and Thalyssra, Halduron was seen sitting next to the main chair in the Spire's main hall. When Magni called upon the champions of the Armies of Legionfall to draw the corruption out of the Sword of Sargeras, Halduron carried Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners if the player was not a hunter, representing the Unseen Path. Positions See WowPedia Category:Blood Elf Category:Farstriders Category:Kingdom of Quel'Thalas Category:Characters Category:Rangers